Month: June 2024

Another Great Day At The Plant Sale

Wenvoe Wildlife Group

Another Great Day At The Plant Sale

 

Another great day at the Plant Sale which generated over £1,600 for the Wildlife Group. Our thanks to Mike and Glenys Tucker for continuing to organise these events which not only raise funds but act as a social gathering for both residents and visitors. Shirley, Judith and Sian manned the Wildlife Group table so we are grateful to them along with all those who donated plants. Our appreciation to all of you who turned up on the day, bought plants and raffle tickets, donated raffle prizes and purchased the delectable cakes on offer. And well done, Geraint, for his great idea of having a bring and buy table for garden tools and pots with all proceeds to the Wildlife Group. We have had a big programme of noticeboard refurbishment in our orchards and the photo shows the completely rebuilt noticeboard in the Welsh Orchard

 

What Am I ?

What am I ?

 I breathe through my skin and have 5 pairs of simple hearts

 I am eaten by the Makiritare people of Venezuela, the Maori of New Zealand, the aborigines of Australia and Papua New Guineans

 Our ancestors were on the planet around 209 million years ago

 I am a keystone species; that means that without us humans would struggle to survive

 Sophie Smith, aged 10, charmed 567 of us in half an hour – a World Record

 I can live for 10 years or more

 I have been an ingredient in medicines for centuries

 Charles Darwin wrote a book about us which sold as many copies as The Origin of Species

 Our babies can move a weight 500 times heavier than their bodies. This is equivalent to a human pushing a Humpback Whale to one side

 Mucus from our bodies is often added to anti-wrinkle and skin regeneration cream

 We are so sensitive to sunlight that just an hour of daylight can paralyse us

 We are neither male nor female but both

 We can be as short as 1cm or as long as 3 metres

 Seeds that we have eaten and passed through our bodies are more likely to germinate

 The collective noun for us is a ‘clew’ from an Old English word meaning a ball of string

And for more fascinating insights read ‘The Book of the Earthworm’ by Sally Coulthard.

The image from Gower is Worms Head

 

Three Times A Day In Turin

THREE TIMES A DAY IN TURIN

Don’t tell your dog, but in the Italian city of Turin it is a legal requirement to walk your pet at least three times a day. In Wenvoe it seems, our love of pets has never been greater and we have no need for such a law with ‘walkies’ commonplace most times of the day, providing many an opportunity for owners to catch up on the latest gossip and escapades of their ca-nine charges.

With a population in 2021 of 2,752, a rough and ready calculation based on recent surveys, suggests that there could be 300 dogs in our village! A survey in March 2023, commissioned by ‘Dogs Trust’, revealed that around 27% of adults own a dog and 36% of households. Swindon had the highest dog ownership per thousand people in the UK with 316.48. The survey revealed that pet ownership levels generally peaked to an unprecedented high of 62% in 2022, likely as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and increased time spent at home. The majority of owners (65%) ac-quired their pets when dogs were under 1 year of age. Less than 5% of dogs were acquired when considered ‘senior’ (around 8 years of age and older). Dog owners it seems are happy to pay top dollar for their new ‘best friend.’ The majority of respondents paid between £250 and £1,000 for their dog. However, just over 15% were prepared to fork out between £1000 and £3,000 for their new pet. Currently, the most common breeds are the Labrador, Cocker Spaniel/Poodle and Jack Russell terrier.

Did you know?

In an interview in 2013, Paul McCartney said that he added a frequency only dogs can hear to the end of the Beatles song ‘A Day in the Life’ which was by co-incidence also mentioned in last month’s front cover story about potholes. Anyway, watch your dog when you play the song!

Did you know that three dogs survived the sinking of the Titanic; all apparently in first class? The dogs included a Pomeranian puppy – which her owner wrapped in a blanket to es-cape with, and everyone thought she was carrying a baby. Another Pomeranian and a Pekingese were also rescued.

Not only do we love our dogs, but increasingly owners are proudly entering them in dog shows. As reported in April’s What’s On, Wenvoe’s Carolyn Horton won the Dog Obedience category at Crufts in 2022 and came second in this year’s competition. The Vale of Glamorgan Agricultural Show usually provides such an opportunity. This year’s show returns to Penllyn on Wednesday 7th August. Further afield the South Wales Kennel Association has its four day show at the Royal Welsh Show ground, Builth Wells on 10th October.

Not everyone of course loves dogs. Dog fouling tops many people’s list of concerns regarding problems found on the streets. Responsible dog owners do not need reminding that it is an offence not to remove any faeces deposited by their dog. The Vale council warn that if you fail to pick up after your dog you could be issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice of £75 or be prosecuted which could result in a fine of up to £1,000.’ Clearly, dog faeces as well as urine, can cause health issues for those who come into contact with it. Less seriously, though often annoyingly, it can have a bad effect on private lawns. Bitches in particular, cause the greatest damage, because they tend to urinate in one spot, rather than dogs who tend to mark many spots and pass small amounts.

Barking can also be a problem. However there is a solution. You can move to Little Rock, Arkansas where a local law prohibits dogs from barking after 6 pm!

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